Obviously there's a lot to be thankful for. Even before last week we had a lot to be thankful for. Our home, jobs, families, Jacob, and our little dude on the way. And then last week happened. Yet amidst all of the stress, fear, and loss, there was still so much more to be thankful for...that I was safe, that the baby was safe, and it wasn't any worse than it was. As everyone kept saying, "Cars can be replaced..." Of course, that feeling of safety and simplicity can't be, which is probably going to be the lasting legacy of this accident. Every day, twice a day, my commute now stands as this imposing barrier between me and the next portion of my day. I need to get past the morning commute to do my job, and I need to get past the evening commute to have my night at home with my family. It's so much more of a burden now, and while I hope that feeling will fade with time, I hope I can keep up an extra eye toward safety in the long run. Not that I didn't before, but it never hurts to stay extra-aware.
Anyway, yesterday it was nice to step back and appreciate our lives away from the craziness of the last couple weeks. We got to enjoy some time with our families, and after days of Jacob being extra difficult, he was actually a sweet, lovely little boy yesterday. We started the day with church with my parents, with the added bonus of seeing my friend Heather and her husband, who were in town visiting her mom, and being able to wish Heather a happy birthday, on her birthday, in person! We had a delicious lunchtime meal with my parents, my aunt, two uncles, and my cousin, who were all new faces to have around the table. The food was awesome--including pumpkin ice cream pie made by my uncle with the recipe from our family's favorite restaurant that no longer exists. It was a little touch of my grandparents' legacy to finish off our meal.
We headed out to Craig's family after that. I was sorry to miss an evening with my extended family, but I was looking forward to another wonderful meal with Craig's family. Pregnancy has its perks, although between these two meals, even that saw its limits! The food was once again amazing, and Jacob had a great time with his cousins. The weather was warm enough to play baseball outside without a coat, and he had a blast! As we went around the table saying what we were thankful for, this year I had very little trouble coming up with a response. One that touched me specifically was Craig's Nana's. She's the only grandparent we have left between us, and she has not been in great health recently. She's a tough-as-nails woman who has been through a lot in her 93 years. I value her presence greatly, possibly because she reminds me a bit of my grandpa, who despite his often-gruff exterior, had this undertone of love and pride toward his family. My cousins and I probably made him nuts at times, but there were moments where you'd see the twinkle in his eye and know he was pleased with the family he had helped to create. Anyway, Craig's Nana was thankful to be there with the family and hopeful that she'd stick around long enough to meet her newest great-grandchild. I, too, hope that she will. In fact, when I found out I was pregnant, that was one of my greatest wishes for this child. I am still sad that Jacob never got to meet either of my grandparents on my dad's side, and I'm grateful he had the time with my mom's mom that he did. I barely knew my grandfather on that side and always wished he'd have stuck around longer so I had memories of him, as well. As I recall, I met one of my great-grandmothers on my mom's side, though I only have vague memories of that. I knew one of my other great-grandmothers quite well and feel fortunate to have a nice set of memories of her (and one special keepsake) before a broken hip started her long descent. I know Jacob (and most certainly his brother) won't have memories quite like that, but I treasure the picture I have of Nana holding Jacob when he was a tiny, scrawny baby, and hope to have another just like it with his brother, just so he knows that he met his last great-grandparent and was loved by her even for a short time.
Possibly the best part of the day was watching everyone, Nana and Jacob included, play Wii Bowling! Both of them had a bit of a hard time with the controller, but it was so great to see the joy on their faces when they did well. It was a little hard to capture on film, and I haven't had a chance to download the pictures or video yet, but suffice it to say it was fun to watch!
As I said, with all of the food even pregnancy saw its limits. By evening my belly was sore and felt even larger than usual. I think the added stretch of a full stomach was a bit much for it and I had a hard time staying comfortable. The baby also wasn't moving very much, which was a little weird and slightly disconcerting. I felt him enough to know he was there and fine, but all I can figure is that a day of carbs and tryptophan has the same impact on a fetus as it does on its mommy! Or maybe the full belly made things extra cozy in there and he just snoozed the day away! He's been kicking as usual today and I'm relieved to be much more comfortable.
Craig had to work today and I was supposed to be spending the day getting the house decorated for Christmas, but instead I got the fall decor put away and am relaxing a bit while Jacob naps. Once he wakes up we'll be off to the bank to get the check for my new car, and then we'll rush off to get the car before going to a dinner tonight to celebrate the Knighthawks' championship season. Nice to know I still have two days to be productive before heading back to work Monday!
Friday, November 23, 2012
Monday, November 19, 2012
Healing and a CURE
Yesterday was an interesting day all around. Busy again, at the very least, but a lot of emotions (good ones, mostly) running through the day. Both days this weekend I woke up early--too early--and couldn't fall back to sleep. I think it was around 6am Saturday and 5:45 Sunday. This morning was 5:30, so I don't think I really like this trend. Not sure what the deal is, as I'm comfortable and not particularly anxious. I'm totally wide awake, too, but I'll admit it's annoying. However, yesterday I took it as a sign. We had an event to go to at 11am, which would cut it too close to our normal church time. So, I figured that if I was up in time and not exhausted, I'd make an effort to go to the early service at our church, which I'd never actually been to before. It's a more traditional service and it's rare that I'm willingly up and out of the house that early on a weekend. Normally Craig would come as well, but I knew getting him up that early would be asking a lot given the activities later that day. Anyway, waking up early obviously wasn't an issue yesterday, and even Jacob was up relatively early. I made an attempt to get him ready as well, since he seemed to like the idea of going with me instead of going off to Sunday School, but when I figured out that church was actually 15 minutes earlier than I originally thought, I couldn't quite get him ready in time and left him home. Ultimately, I think there was a purpose in that, as it turned out that I needed that solo morning very badly. I think Jacob's presence would have infringed on it a bit and I wouldn't have had quite the focus and clear mind that was needed to properly appreciate it.
I got into Craig's car and turned on the Christian station (K-Love) because I know it's an easy preset on Craig's radio. I was driving along, my first time behind the wheel since the accident, and it occurred to me that going to church was extra important for me on that particular day.. I don't know how to describe it other than to say that I just needed to hear whatever God had to tell me. Last week was pretty hellish (despite all we still have to be thankful for) and bad stuff like that just doesn't seem to make sense most of the time. Why was I in that place at that time? Why did I have to put my safety and the baby's safety at risk? Why do I now have to spend a lot of extra money fixing this situation, when we're already approaching another financial challenge (more daycare and diapers)? I just wanted to hear something, anything, that would make any of this make sense. I'm not normally like that, either, but I was just desperate for something.
As I was sitting at a light, the DJ came on with a verse of the day...Matthew 11:30, which says, "For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." I don't even know if they read the two verses before that, because all I really needed to hear was that one, but for context, they are, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." Pretty much immediately I teared up. I don't know what did it...whether it was the idea that God could take this burden and make it lighter, or whether in the grand scheme of things our burden should have been so much worse (due to sin) and (thanks to Jesus' sacrifice) the trials I'm facing now are small in comparison...but ultimately, it didn't matter. It was something I needed to hear, obviously. I teared up pretty bad for the next couple minutes before forcing myself to compose myself so I didn't look like a total mess walking into church.
I had a couple moments in church as well (it is ever possible to sing "Amazing Grace" without a hint of emotion?), mostly surrounding the notion of God's grace and how it brings us out of even the worst circumstances into His arms. There was communion, as well, and even that had an added element of thankfulness and emotion involved in it this week, perhaps a sort of cleansing, if you will. It was good to be there, for sure, and I came home from it all feeling just a little bit lighter.
Once I got home, we headed out to an event involving one of Craig's clients, CURE Childhood Cancer Association. They support families of kids with cancer. Craig has done a lot of fundraising events for them via the Knighthawks for years, and he was bringing out the mascot and a player to their big "Recipe for a CURE" event. There were hundreds of people there and it was a brunch event with live and silent auctions. Basically, there were food stations galore--a pregnant woman's dream! They had stations with omelets, waffles, salads, seafood, carved meats, pasta, breads, crepes, pancake-like puffs, candy, and assorted desserts, much of it custom-made by chefs at each station. A-MAZING. The food was fantastic. They had "kid chefs" at many of the stations, and they were some of the kids the organization helps. Omelets were the first things we got, and the girl who put our chosen ingredients into a cup to pass down to the chefs was a beautiful 14 year old with big eyes, lots of makeup, long fake eyelashes...and a bald head under her chef's hat. She's been fighting cancer since March. I also had a five year old boy make me up a cupcake--totally not according to my specifications, but we were all laughing too hard to really care! It was really an amazing event...and not just because two people practically dueled it out to the death (of their bank accounts) for possibly the cutest puppy ever that was being auctioned off.
Seeing the profiles of these kids up on the screens and seeing them helping out in person really added a whole different perspective to life as we've known it over the past few days. Yes, we've had a rough few days, but they could have been scarier and far more tragic than they were. But our kids (both of them) are healthy and this whole mess will more or less be over within a week or so (aside from the 4-5 unplanned years of car payments). We're not facing months or years of cancer treatments. We're not facing the possible loss of a child. We're not watching them endure horrible, painful side effects. We're not making a million life adjustments to make room for doctor's appointments or hospital stays. Many of those kids are younger than Jacob and are facing a lifetime of health issues. I just can't even imagine. I have college friends whose three year old daughter had a tumor removed from her spinal cord near her head, and while I don't know for sure that it's cancerous, she's still facing radiation and chemo as part of a treatment study to ensure that she's cured for good. It's going to be a long road for them, and each time I read one of their Caring Bridge updates, it just hits home how lucky we are. They are committed Christians so they definitely have a fantastic attitude about it, all things considered, but it's still such a burden to bear. It makes mine look like nothing.
Although I was stuffed to the gills and incredibly tired by the time we got home, I had to head back out for round two of car shopping. I walked into the dealership that's closer to us and literally said, "I have two questions--do you have a Corolla in stock in Tropical Sea Metallic, and can you beat the other dealer's price?" They didn't have my crazy color choice in stock, but they did beat the price, so hopefully within the next week or so I will be the proud owner of a teal-ish green car that I've never actually seen the color of in person...but it looks promising! I just have to wait for the insurance check, make some decisions about funding, do a couple other housekeeping things, and wait for the car to make its way to the dealer. It's still going to be a crazy week, particularly with the holiday, but at least I only have to drive five minutes there instead of 20.
Oh, and I also got a haircut while I was out. But needless to say, by the end of the day yesterday I was spent. Between the emotions early in the day, going to the brunch, dealing with a difficult Jacob prior to his late nap, buying a car, a stressful week, and a generally long weekend of errands and too little sleep, I was falling asleep in my chair by about 7pm. I recovered enough to get some laundry done, read some of the newspaper, and head off to bed early. Thank goodness for a three-day work week.
Oh, and one more little interesting moment today...I picked up my rental car this morning, and as I was installing Jacob's carseat, I realized that the radio in the car was already set to K-Love, the same Christian station I was listening to yesterday morning. The odds of that have to be pretty slim, considering it's not exactly most people's first choice. It was a good reminder that God's with me through all of this, and that He was already with me in the car, ready for the stressful first drive back on the highway.
Also, I just did the math, and I'm figuring that despite having two accidents on the same stretch of highway, I've probably traveled that stretch about 3,000 times during the morning commute alone (not counting numerous drives to sporting events, shopping or other things). That means I've only had incidents there during .06% of the driving I've done there. Add in those other events and it's probably closer to .05% all-time. Ultimately it's still an issue of "wrong place at the wrong time" no matter what the odds say, but those odds are pretty tiny and I need to focus on the fact that I've had plenty of good commutes in the meantime, just to remind myself that I can. I'll be extra careful, though.
Let's hope I can manage a low-stress week and enjoy the holiday to the fullest...
I got into Craig's car and turned on the Christian station (K-Love) because I know it's an easy preset on Craig's radio. I was driving along, my first time behind the wheel since the accident, and it occurred to me that going to church was extra important for me on that particular day.. I don't know how to describe it other than to say that I just needed to hear whatever God had to tell me. Last week was pretty hellish (despite all we still have to be thankful for) and bad stuff like that just doesn't seem to make sense most of the time. Why was I in that place at that time? Why did I have to put my safety and the baby's safety at risk? Why do I now have to spend a lot of extra money fixing this situation, when we're already approaching another financial challenge (more daycare and diapers)? I just wanted to hear something, anything, that would make any of this make sense. I'm not normally like that, either, but I was just desperate for something.
As I was sitting at a light, the DJ came on with a verse of the day...Matthew 11:30, which says, "For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." I don't even know if they read the two verses before that, because all I really needed to hear was that one, but for context, they are, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." Pretty much immediately I teared up. I don't know what did it...whether it was the idea that God could take this burden and make it lighter, or whether in the grand scheme of things our burden should have been so much worse (due to sin) and (thanks to Jesus' sacrifice) the trials I'm facing now are small in comparison...but ultimately, it didn't matter. It was something I needed to hear, obviously. I teared up pretty bad for the next couple minutes before forcing myself to compose myself so I didn't look like a total mess walking into church.
I had a couple moments in church as well (it is ever possible to sing "Amazing Grace" without a hint of emotion?), mostly surrounding the notion of God's grace and how it brings us out of even the worst circumstances into His arms. There was communion, as well, and even that had an added element of thankfulness and emotion involved in it this week, perhaps a sort of cleansing, if you will. It was good to be there, for sure, and I came home from it all feeling just a little bit lighter.
Once I got home, we headed out to an event involving one of Craig's clients, CURE Childhood Cancer Association. They support families of kids with cancer. Craig has done a lot of fundraising events for them via the Knighthawks for years, and he was bringing out the mascot and a player to their big "Recipe for a CURE" event. There were hundreds of people there and it was a brunch event with live and silent auctions. Basically, there were food stations galore--a pregnant woman's dream! They had stations with omelets, waffles, salads, seafood, carved meats, pasta, breads, crepes, pancake-like puffs, candy, and assorted desserts, much of it custom-made by chefs at each station. A-MAZING. The food was fantastic. They had "kid chefs" at many of the stations, and they were some of the kids the organization helps. Omelets were the first things we got, and the girl who put our chosen ingredients into a cup to pass down to the chefs was a beautiful 14 year old with big eyes, lots of makeup, long fake eyelashes...and a bald head under her chef's hat. She's been fighting cancer since March. I also had a five year old boy make me up a cupcake--totally not according to my specifications, but we were all laughing too hard to really care! It was really an amazing event...and not just because two people practically dueled it out to the death (of their bank accounts) for possibly the cutest puppy ever that was being auctioned off.
Seeing the profiles of these kids up on the screens and seeing them helping out in person really added a whole different perspective to life as we've known it over the past few days. Yes, we've had a rough few days, but they could have been scarier and far more tragic than they were. But our kids (both of them) are healthy and this whole mess will more or less be over within a week or so (aside from the 4-5 unplanned years of car payments). We're not facing months or years of cancer treatments. We're not facing the possible loss of a child. We're not watching them endure horrible, painful side effects. We're not making a million life adjustments to make room for doctor's appointments or hospital stays. Many of those kids are younger than Jacob and are facing a lifetime of health issues. I just can't even imagine. I have college friends whose three year old daughter had a tumor removed from her spinal cord near her head, and while I don't know for sure that it's cancerous, she's still facing radiation and chemo as part of a treatment study to ensure that she's cured for good. It's going to be a long road for them, and each time I read one of their Caring Bridge updates, it just hits home how lucky we are. They are committed Christians so they definitely have a fantastic attitude about it, all things considered, but it's still such a burden to bear. It makes mine look like nothing.
Although I was stuffed to the gills and incredibly tired by the time we got home, I had to head back out for round two of car shopping. I walked into the dealership that's closer to us and literally said, "I have two questions--do you have a Corolla in stock in Tropical Sea Metallic, and can you beat the other dealer's price?" They didn't have my crazy color choice in stock, but they did beat the price, so hopefully within the next week or so I will be the proud owner of a teal-ish green car that I've never actually seen the color of in person...but it looks promising! I just have to wait for the insurance check, make some decisions about funding, do a couple other housekeeping things, and wait for the car to make its way to the dealer. It's still going to be a crazy week, particularly with the holiday, but at least I only have to drive five minutes there instead of 20.
Oh, and I also got a haircut while I was out. But needless to say, by the end of the day yesterday I was spent. Between the emotions early in the day, going to the brunch, dealing with a difficult Jacob prior to his late nap, buying a car, a stressful week, and a generally long weekend of errands and too little sleep, I was falling asleep in my chair by about 7pm. I recovered enough to get some laundry done, read some of the newspaper, and head off to bed early. Thank goodness for a three-day work week.
Oh, and one more little interesting moment today...I picked up my rental car this morning, and as I was installing Jacob's carseat, I realized that the radio in the car was already set to K-Love, the same Christian station I was listening to yesterday morning. The odds of that have to be pretty slim, considering it's not exactly most people's first choice. It was a good reminder that God's with me through all of this, and that He was already with me in the car, ready for the stressful first drive back on the highway.
Also, I just did the math, and I'm figuring that despite having two accidents on the same stretch of highway, I've probably traveled that stretch about 3,000 times during the morning commute alone (not counting numerous drives to sporting events, shopping or other things). That means I've only had incidents there during .06% of the driving I've done there. Add in those other events and it's probably closer to .05% all-time. Ultimately it's still an issue of "wrong place at the wrong time" no matter what the odds say, but those odds are pretty tiny and I need to focus on the fact that I've had plenty of good commutes in the meantime, just to remind myself that I can. I'll be extra careful, though.
Let's hope I can manage a low-stress week and enjoy the holiday to the fullest...
Sunday, November 18, 2012
A Little Better
I can't say things are back to normal, but I'd say I'm a little better. I'm still nervous to get back on the highway. I haven't even driven since the accident, in fact. I went to look at cars today. I didn't quite get the exact answers I wanted, but I think it was progress nonetheless since I'm equipped to go to my second dealership tomorrow and lay out my demands. If they can't match it, too bad. There's still a lot of stuff to work out--funding, shuffling money around (basically, getting the insurance check, clearing it, and getting a new check issued quickly), and getting the insurance worked out--but we'll figure it out. The whole thing is still a bummer and I'd have been perfectly happy keeping my old car for years...but it seems like the new Corolla might have some nice upgrades to soften the blow a TINY bit.
I just have this whole pre-accident/post-accident perception of things that's still messing with me a bit. It's like, I see a picture of something we did before the accident and I feel like there was a prevailing sense of innocence or something...and now that's gone. It's almost like there's a shadow hanging over things now, in contrast to the relative innocence that surrounded us before the accident. I'm hoping it will fade over time. But I think that I'm not replaying things as much now, and I've slept better for the past couple nights. I still question how to avoid this situation again when it was the result of a split-second reflex. How do you reprogram that when you're not even 100% sure what exact reflex you're reprogramming? It's hard to describe, exactly, but that's my big hangup right now.
In the end, the physical soreness really only lasted one day, and I only ended up with bruises on my arm and my knee. Not bad considering how bad the damage was. Even the bruise on my arm, which bothered me quite a bit the past couple days, isn't bad today. The baby's been kicking away plenty, and I'm extra grateful for that nowadays. I just worry now about my ability to keep this little guy (and his big brother) safe.
I did take a new picture of my belly today. It doesn't look a whole lot different than the 20 week shot, but indeed, four more weeks have passed. The belly doesn't stick out significantly more, but it has definitely rounded out a bit.
I'm mostly just looking forward to this week, getting three days of work out of the way before a much-needed four-day weekend. My plan is mostly to get out all of the Christmas stuff, and even start shopping if I can. I already started a running list of gift ideas and have done some scouting when we've been out or when I'm browsing online. Blame the nesting instinct for making me want to be super organized, but perhaps I always start out this nuts and get discouraged. At least this year the Christmas stuff isn't making me nauseous the second I walk into the store. I'm hopeful, and I'm really hoping the Christmas stuff gets my mind off of the past few days and pushes me into a happier place...rather than having the accident continue to be a buzzkill. At least it's something to potentially keep my mind occupied.
We're keeping ourselves busy this weekend as well. Carpet and car shopping today, and more shopping and a brunch for one of Craig's clients tomorrow. Jacob has been quite difficult this weekend--extra distracted and mouthy--so we're working through that and hoping that a nice, normal bedtime tonight will make tomorrow better. And if that fails, it's getting to be time for drastic measures. I'm not sure what the missing puzzle piece is for him to understand that the potty talk is a problem and that telling us "no" when we ask him to do something is unacceptable. We don't let him get away with it, but he still doesn't seem to learn from it. I'm hoping this phase passes before baby #2 is with it enough to pick up on the rudeness. God forbid he does, because my patience is already waning.
Anyway, keep praying for a sense of peace and the subtle refinement of my driving instincts/skills to ensure this never happens again. Mentally, physically, financially, and emotionally, I just can't do this again. There's far too much at stake now.
I just have this whole pre-accident/post-accident perception of things that's still messing with me a bit. It's like, I see a picture of something we did before the accident and I feel like there was a prevailing sense of innocence or something...and now that's gone. It's almost like there's a shadow hanging over things now, in contrast to the relative innocence that surrounded us before the accident. I'm hoping it will fade over time. But I think that I'm not replaying things as much now, and I've slept better for the past couple nights. I still question how to avoid this situation again when it was the result of a split-second reflex. How do you reprogram that when you're not even 100% sure what exact reflex you're reprogramming? It's hard to describe, exactly, but that's my big hangup right now.
In the end, the physical soreness really only lasted one day, and I only ended up with bruises on my arm and my knee. Not bad considering how bad the damage was. Even the bruise on my arm, which bothered me quite a bit the past couple days, isn't bad today. The baby's been kicking away plenty, and I'm extra grateful for that nowadays. I just worry now about my ability to keep this little guy (and his big brother) safe.
I did take a new picture of my belly today. It doesn't look a whole lot different than the 20 week shot, but indeed, four more weeks have passed. The belly doesn't stick out significantly more, but it has definitely rounded out a bit.
 |
| 24 weeks! |
We're keeping ourselves busy this weekend as well. Carpet and car shopping today, and more shopping and a brunch for one of Craig's clients tomorrow. Jacob has been quite difficult this weekend--extra distracted and mouthy--so we're working through that and hoping that a nice, normal bedtime tonight will make tomorrow better. And if that fails, it's getting to be time for drastic measures. I'm not sure what the missing puzzle piece is for him to understand that the potty talk is a problem and that telling us "no" when we ask him to do something is unacceptable. We don't let him get away with it, but he still doesn't seem to learn from it. I'm hoping this phase passes before baby #2 is with it enough to pick up on the rudeness. God forbid he does, because my patience is already waning.
Anyway, keep praying for a sense of peace and the subtle refinement of my driving instincts/skills to ensure this never happens again. Mentally, physically, financially, and emotionally, I just can't do this again. There's far too much at stake now.
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Recovery
With the dawning of a new day today, I awaited the inevitable physical remnants of yesterday's accident. I don't know if it will get worse again tomorrow, but so far it's manageable. The worst of it is probably a rather large bruised area (no pretty colors yet) on my right forearm, which I'm guessing might be from the airbag. It's in a spot that gets a lot of action, so that's bothering me most. A spot on my upper chest where the seatbelt was is a little sore. A spot on the back of my head above my right ear is sore, though I don't know if I just hit it on the headrest, or what. The bridge of my nose is a little sore too, but again, I have no idea why that spot is sore since it seems like something else would have had to get hurt for that area to be impacted. Maybe my sunglasses fell on that spot when they popped out of their holder. My neck and shoulders are a little sore, too, but that could be as much from my Tuesday class at the gym as the accident. I also have a bruise on my knee, but that could be from almost anything. But all things considered, I'm fine.
What's probably not fine is my mental state. I have a feeling that part of recovery is going to take a while. I'm nervous about getting back behind the wheel on a highway. I'm worried about driving with Jacob, and even more with the new baby once he's here. Yesterday, before these minor injuries set in, I felt like the physical toll wasn't that bad. But as more aches and pains have cropped up today, it's becoming more apparent that the forces on my body were pretty strong. The baby is still kicking away, but could all those forces have knocked his brain around? I don't even want to think about what it would have done to Jacob, or worse, his baby brother. Kids (particularly babies) are so much more susceptible to those forces (hence why I'm a major proponent of keeping them rear-facing as long as possible), and it scares me to think of what might have happened with them in the car. I know how mentally traumatized I am by everything that happened. I can't imagine the nightmares Jacob would end up with after going through something like that. It was scary.
Like I said yesterday, my first accident had a clear lesson to be learned--be extra careful when changing lanes in traffic and don't follow too closely regardless. But this one...it was such a split-second reflex thing, and I'm not sure how I could have or should have done it better...or how to completely avoid it next time. Swerving happens, but how do you make sure you don't get in an out-of-control one when you're going full speed on a highway? I'm just not sure how to prepare for that again, and it scares me. The more I think about how much worse it could have been--the baby, broken glass, injuries in other cars, real injuries to me, kids involved, etc.--the more freaked out I get. What if we're not as lucky next time? I feel stupid about how much damage my car ended up with, to the point that I won't even let Craig post the picture he took. It was just a swerve...it should have been nothing, but something just went wrong and I can't pinpoint it.
I'm worried that I'll be held liable, which is not only tough on my ego but also on my wallet. I'm not thrilled about having to shell out more cash for another car either, when I was a few months away from being done with payments for the foreseeable future. I went through the ridiculous DMV forms tonight and have my title ready to send off, so at least that stuff is done. I dread the new car bargaining and the endless paperwork. I'm worried about having a new car and worrying about the first scratches...or God forbid, having to go through something like this again.
I spent most of last night waking up every hour, recalling the long day, and drifting back off again for a while. A day like today on not a lot of sleep wasn't really advisable, as I know that lack of sleep does nothing for my positive outlook on life. I'm concerned that this is going to cast a pall over our holidays, which I was so excited for. I just can't think of much else right now, and that's a problem. Work was probably good for me today because it forced me to do some other things, but inevitably my thoughts always drifted back. When will that stop?
The accident is over and the car can be replaced. But when you can't get the image out of your head and can't help but worry that it will happen again and impact other people, it's so hard to truly move past it. Pray that I can. I wrote last week about God's master plan, and I'm still trying to understand why I was in this particular place at this particular time. We could have been in Florida...or I could have spent another minute at daycare with Jacob and avoided the whole thing. So, why? I really don't get it. This whole situation has really stolen my joy--I've felt pretty much mechanical since it happened--and given that I am pregnant and the holidays are coming, I need that joy more than ever. Pray, please...for sanity and safety.
To end on a lighter note, I did try to move a little more toward normal last night. I have been very unhappy with the state of our bedroom pretty much since we moved here. Our room is fine--comfortably big--but the rug is pink and nasty. Our comforter, which I bought probably six or seven years ago, just wasn't doing it for me, and I didn't want to spend money on curtains for three windows or any real decor items if I wasn't sold on the comforter. Fast forward two and a half years, and our room is still the same. The carpet needs to get done--that was the plan for this weekend, actually, though car shopping might push it off if we can't fit in both--because Jacob's new room needs it, too, before we can do anything in there. Last week I happened to check an online bedding store I've always kept an eye on, and I saw a lovely quilt that just struck me as exactly what I wanted. After looking at the Sunday paper ads for years and finding nothing that fit my taste, this one was lovely and screams "grown-up bedroom". A real quilt with beautiful colors, in a nice pattern that should look pretty with our bed frame...and it immediately inspired the design bug in me. But it wasn't particularly cheap. I managed to find a 15% off plus free shipping code, but still wanted to think on it. Then yesterday I got a one-day 30% off plus free shipping offer, which knocked off another $17 or so. That seemed about as good as the offer was going to get, particularly since their quilts come and go with the seasons. While spending some money on bedding (of all things) didn't seem like the best thing on a day that would cost us a lot of money in the long run, taking the first step toward a bedroom I will love (finally) sounded like a pretty decent idea. And this quilt should hold up and last us many, many years, so buying quality seems like a good plan. Once it arrives, I can work on getting curtains to replace the ugly ones that came with the house that I never bothered to replace, and then get something to decorate the wall above the bed. That alone will make the room more like a lovely retreat, which will be a welcome change of pace. It's the little things.
What's probably not fine is my mental state. I have a feeling that part of recovery is going to take a while. I'm nervous about getting back behind the wheel on a highway. I'm worried about driving with Jacob, and even more with the new baby once he's here. Yesterday, before these minor injuries set in, I felt like the physical toll wasn't that bad. But as more aches and pains have cropped up today, it's becoming more apparent that the forces on my body were pretty strong. The baby is still kicking away, but could all those forces have knocked his brain around? I don't even want to think about what it would have done to Jacob, or worse, his baby brother. Kids (particularly babies) are so much more susceptible to those forces (hence why I'm a major proponent of keeping them rear-facing as long as possible), and it scares me to think of what might have happened with them in the car. I know how mentally traumatized I am by everything that happened. I can't imagine the nightmares Jacob would end up with after going through something like that. It was scary.
Like I said yesterday, my first accident had a clear lesson to be learned--be extra careful when changing lanes in traffic and don't follow too closely regardless. But this one...it was such a split-second reflex thing, and I'm not sure how I could have or should have done it better...or how to completely avoid it next time. Swerving happens, but how do you make sure you don't get in an out-of-control one when you're going full speed on a highway? I'm just not sure how to prepare for that again, and it scares me. The more I think about how much worse it could have been--the baby, broken glass, injuries in other cars, real injuries to me, kids involved, etc.--the more freaked out I get. What if we're not as lucky next time? I feel stupid about how much damage my car ended up with, to the point that I won't even let Craig post the picture he took. It was just a swerve...it should have been nothing, but something just went wrong and I can't pinpoint it.
I'm worried that I'll be held liable, which is not only tough on my ego but also on my wallet. I'm not thrilled about having to shell out more cash for another car either, when I was a few months away from being done with payments for the foreseeable future. I went through the ridiculous DMV forms tonight and have my title ready to send off, so at least that stuff is done. I dread the new car bargaining and the endless paperwork. I'm worried about having a new car and worrying about the first scratches...or God forbid, having to go through something like this again.
I spent most of last night waking up every hour, recalling the long day, and drifting back off again for a while. A day like today on not a lot of sleep wasn't really advisable, as I know that lack of sleep does nothing for my positive outlook on life. I'm concerned that this is going to cast a pall over our holidays, which I was so excited for. I just can't think of much else right now, and that's a problem. Work was probably good for me today because it forced me to do some other things, but inevitably my thoughts always drifted back. When will that stop?
The accident is over and the car can be replaced. But when you can't get the image out of your head and can't help but worry that it will happen again and impact other people, it's so hard to truly move past it. Pray that I can. I wrote last week about God's master plan, and I'm still trying to understand why I was in this particular place at this particular time. We could have been in Florida...or I could have spent another minute at daycare with Jacob and avoided the whole thing. So, why? I really don't get it. This whole situation has really stolen my joy--I've felt pretty much mechanical since it happened--and given that I am pregnant and the holidays are coming, I need that joy more than ever. Pray, please...for sanity and safety.
To end on a lighter note, I did try to move a little more toward normal last night. I have been very unhappy with the state of our bedroom pretty much since we moved here. Our room is fine--comfortably big--but the rug is pink and nasty. Our comforter, which I bought probably six or seven years ago, just wasn't doing it for me, and I didn't want to spend money on curtains for three windows or any real decor items if I wasn't sold on the comforter. Fast forward two and a half years, and our room is still the same. The carpet needs to get done--that was the plan for this weekend, actually, though car shopping might push it off if we can't fit in both--because Jacob's new room needs it, too, before we can do anything in there. Last week I happened to check an online bedding store I've always kept an eye on, and I saw a lovely quilt that just struck me as exactly what I wanted. After looking at the Sunday paper ads for years and finding nothing that fit my taste, this one was lovely and screams "grown-up bedroom". A real quilt with beautiful colors, in a nice pattern that should look pretty with our bed frame...and it immediately inspired the design bug in me. But it wasn't particularly cheap. I managed to find a 15% off plus free shipping code, but still wanted to think on it. Then yesterday I got a one-day 30% off plus free shipping offer, which knocked off another $17 or so. That seemed about as good as the offer was going to get, particularly since their quilts come and go with the seasons. While spending some money on bedding (of all things) didn't seem like the best thing on a day that would cost us a lot of money in the long run, taking the first step toward a bedroom I will love (finally) sounded like a pretty decent idea. And this quilt should hold up and last us many, many years, so buying quality seems like a good plan. Once it arrives, I can work on getting curtains to replace the ugly ones that came with the house that I never bothered to replace, and then get something to decorate the wall above the bed. That alone will make the room more like a lovely retreat, which will be a welcome change of pace. It's the little things.
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
A Day I'd Like to Forget
So...I'm two-for-two in car accidents while pregnant. Yup, today I got in an accident. A pretty bad one, in fact. I'm fine, the baby's fine, but my car is not. Thankfully I had already dropped Jacob off and it was just me and my belly in the car. Long story short, I was on the highway, up to speed with traffic in the left lane, as my left-hand exit was about a half mile ahead. Suddenly someone in the middle lane swerved into my lane to avoid a truck. I swerved, and at that speed I lost control and ended up swerving into the next lane a little sideways, got hit on the passenger side, continued into the guardrail, which took off my front bumper, then momentum carried me back across a lane and a half, where I ended up halfway between the middle and left lane, nearly perpendicular to the side of the road. It was scary, no doubt. It happened very fast. Some airbags deployed, though I barely noticed them. In the end, two other cars were involved, including the original swerving van, and one that was just minimal. Thankfully, that woman said she saw the whole thing and there just wasn't much I could have done.
Obviously, first and foremost, I'm beyond grateful that it wasn't worse. Until I talked to the first person at the insurance company, it didn't even occur to me that my windshield could have broken. It didn't. I immediately took stock of my belly when it happened, and nothing hurt. I felt no pressure around the seatbelt and my belly felt fine. Even now I'm not sore yet, at least not beyond what would have already been bothering me thanks to yesterday's workout. I credit good seatbelt placement and a thick winter coat for softening the blow, literally. It took a while for the baby to start kicking again, but I was obviously super happy when he did. Everyone was giving me grief about going to the doctor, but knowing that nothing hurt I wasn't too concerned. I did call them, and when the nurse confirmed that the baby was moving and that I wasn't bleeding or cramping, she said everything was probably fine but I was welcome to come in for a check if I was concerned. I didn't go. He's still kicking away, and I'm still fine. Call it a risk, but that was the first thing I thought about the instant it happened, before the adrenaline could have fully flooded my system, so I was pretty confident things were fine.
My car, however, is totaled. Just a handful of months shy of paying it off, of course. Because, as you may recall, I got it nearly five years ago when I crashed my old car a couple months shy of my due date with Jacob. That one was definitely my fault--but pretty routine--since it was a basic rear-ending in bumper-to-bumper traffic. My car was also older so it wouldn't have taken much to total it. This one was obviously a lot bigger and more of a gray area. I swerved to avoid another swerver, but the question is probably what I could have done to not end up across three lanes of traffic. I was going with the flow of traffic, probably between 60-65mph, on a busy highway. There wasn't much of a shoulder in that area, and it all happened so quickly that I'm not sure what could have been done. And that's probably what bugs me most. I'm replaying the thing over and over in my head wondering what I could have done differently, what I would do differently next time. And I'm just not sure I have an answer. It was all a reaction thing and at that speed I'm not sure what other action might have prevented what happened. It's just a vivid reminder that you never know. And it scares me that next time Jacob or baby #2 might be there. I would never forgive myself for putting them through that...or God forbid, hurting them, no matter how much this was or wasn't my fault.
So now we start what is sure to be a couple crazy weeks of insurance companies, rental cars, and car shopping. I think I pretty much want to get the same car, even though everyone is insisting we need an SUV or minivan. If gas wasn't nearly $4/gallon I'd consider it, but I just can't justify the additional cost for the vehicle or for gas at this point. I survived my entire childhood in a sedan with another sibling, so for now I think we're fine. We'll re-evaluate next time we need a vehicle (hopefully not on my account, and hopefully years down the road when Craig's car has seen better days) to see whether two kids (and any assorted sports equipment) make the cost worth it. I don't really trust myself to drive a higher-profile vehicle anyway, given the nature of his accident and the fact that I'm not the best at judging depth perception (not a lot of evidence of that, but perhaps just a lack of confidence on my part). I dread the thought, but we should get a decent settlement from insurance so what we finance will hopefully be minimal compared to normal. It just stinks considering I was almost done paying. Ugh. I just hated the craziness of all of this last time I was pregnant, and now to have to go through it again...it stinks.
Today was also Jacob's Thanksgiving dinner at daycare, and I didn't want to miss that. Fortunately, Craig came and got me from the accident, I hung out at his office for a bit to make my insurance calls and make sure I didn't have to go to the doctor. I figured it was easier hanging out there with access to a car, rather than going to work, particularly since we had to head out to daycare a little before 11am anyway. We broke the news to him during the meal, but tried to keep it light and simple--"Mommy was in an accident...she doesn't have a car right now because it's broken...etc." He's pretty fascinated by my not having a car, so that's pretty much his focus right now. He knows that I had an accident when he was in my belly, which is why I had to get the car I had (until this morning, of course). So perhaps he'll just think this is normal. Great.
The financial implications of this are frustrating, and the mental toll is unfortunate. I'm definitely beating myself up about this and wondering what I could have done to change things. But at the end of the day I know I have to be grateful because this could have been SO much worse. The baby could have been impacted, I could have been hurt, or Jacob could have been in the car. Heck, someone else could have gotten hurt. So I know that in the grand scheme of things, we're incredibly blessed and God was watching over us. Now I just need to pray it never happens again and He gets us through a stressful couple weeks.
Obviously, first and foremost, I'm beyond grateful that it wasn't worse. Until I talked to the first person at the insurance company, it didn't even occur to me that my windshield could have broken. It didn't. I immediately took stock of my belly when it happened, and nothing hurt. I felt no pressure around the seatbelt and my belly felt fine. Even now I'm not sore yet, at least not beyond what would have already been bothering me thanks to yesterday's workout. I credit good seatbelt placement and a thick winter coat for softening the blow, literally. It took a while for the baby to start kicking again, but I was obviously super happy when he did. Everyone was giving me grief about going to the doctor, but knowing that nothing hurt I wasn't too concerned. I did call them, and when the nurse confirmed that the baby was moving and that I wasn't bleeding or cramping, she said everything was probably fine but I was welcome to come in for a check if I was concerned. I didn't go. He's still kicking away, and I'm still fine. Call it a risk, but that was the first thing I thought about the instant it happened, before the adrenaline could have fully flooded my system, so I was pretty confident things were fine.
My car, however, is totaled. Just a handful of months shy of paying it off, of course. Because, as you may recall, I got it nearly five years ago when I crashed my old car a couple months shy of my due date with Jacob. That one was definitely my fault--but pretty routine--since it was a basic rear-ending in bumper-to-bumper traffic. My car was also older so it wouldn't have taken much to total it. This one was obviously a lot bigger and more of a gray area. I swerved to avoid another swerver, but the question is probably what I could have done to not end up across three lanes of traffic. I was going with the flow of traffic, probably between 60-65mph, on a busy highway. There wasn't much of a shoulder in that area, and it all happened so quickly that I'm not sure what could have been done. And that's probably what bugs me most. I'm replaying the thing over and over in my head wondering what I could have done differently, what I would do differently next time. And I'm just not sure I have an answer. It was all a reaction thing and at that speed I'm not sure what other action might have prevented what happened. It's just a vivid reminder that you never know. And it scares me that next time Jacob or baby #2 might be there. I would never forgive myself for putting them through that...or God forbid, hurting them, no matter how much this was or wasn't my fault.
So now we start what is sure to be a couple crazy weeks of insurance companies, rental cars, and car shopping. I think I pretty much want to get the same car, even though everyone is insisting we need an SUV or minivan. If gas wasn't nearly $4/gallon I'd consider it, but I just can't justify the additional cost for the vehicle or for gas at this point. I survived my entire childhood in a sedan with another sibling, so for now I think we're fine. We'll re-evaluate next time we need a vehicle (hopefully not on my account, and hopefully years down the road when Craig's car has seen better days) to see whether two kids (and any assorted sports equipment) make the cost worth it. I don't really trust myself to drive a higher-profile vehicle anyway, given the nature of his accident and the fact that I'm not the best at judging depth perception (not a lot of evidence of that, but perhaps just a lack of confidence on my part). I dread the thought, but we should get a decent settlement from insurance so what we finance will hopefully be minimal compared to normal. It just stinks considering I was almost done paying. Ugh. I just hated the craziness of all of this last time I was pregnant, and now to have to go through it again...it stinks.
Today was also Jacob's Thanksgiving dinner at daycare, and I didn't want to miss that. Fortunately, Craig came and got me from the accident, I hung out at his office for a bit to make my insurance calls and make sure I didn't have to go to the doctor. I figured it was easier hanging out there with access to a car, rather than going to work, particularly since we had to head out to daycare a little before 11am anyway. We broke the news to him during the meal, but tried to keep it light and simple--"Mommy was in an accident...she doesn't have a car right now because it's broken...etc." He's pretty fascinated by my not having a car, so that's pretty much his focus right now. He knows that I had an accident when he was in my belly, which is why I had to get the car I had (until this morning, of course). So perhaps he'll just think this is normal. Great.
The financial implications of this are frustrating, and the mental toll is unfortunate. I'm definitely beating myself up about this and wondering what I could have done to change things. But at the end of the day I know I have to be grateful because this could have been SO much worse. The baby could have been impacted, I could have been hurt, or Jacob could have been in the car. Heck, someone else could have gotten hurt. So I know that in the grand scheme of things, we're incredibly blessed and God was watching over us. Now I just need to pray it never happens again and He gets us through a stressful couple weeks.
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Workout Worries
Last time around I continued going to my class at the gym right through 7-1/2 months. It wasn't always easy, but I had the benefit of having two older women in class with me, one who was going through chemo and another with some physical limitations, who both did the countless modifications of the class exercises with me. Maybe the class was easier than the one I'm taking now...or maybe it just felt better to have people right there with me. It's hard to tell.
But here I am around the five month mark (I think--I'm nearly 24 weeks, so whatever that works out to be), and I'm starting to doubt my ability to keep it up. My original goal was to keep it up until Christmas. I figured that there would be enough distractions during Christmas that I might miss a class or two, and once that happened it would be extra hard to go back. But I was hoping to make it until then.
However, I'm starting to doubt myself. I'm already making a lot of modifications. Tonight at class I had a period of time where I had to skip a few sets because I started to get a little lightheaded. I remember that happening once or twice last time I was pregnant, too. It would be one thing if there was a magic formula that caused issues like that, but there isn't. I can go through the exact same workout two weeks in a row, and one week it could affect me, and the next it won't. It's not just a matter of working out too hard, because I'm very conscious of that and do my best to take it easy. It could be a certain motion, or being a little extra tired, or being a little warmer. But I don't really know what might cause it until it happens. Fortunately, it's pretty apparent to me when I'm heading down that road, so I can usually stop doing what I'm doing, take a break, and recover without a problem. That's what happened last time, and that's what happened this time. I took it easy for the rest of class and everything was fine by the end.
I don't want to give it up entirely from one iffy experience that may have been caused by one perfect storm of circumstances. So, I'll try again next week, be extra careful, and see how it goes. And if it happens again, I'll think about it again. I'll admit it all makes me a little nervous, but again, if it's just a mix of circumstances I don't want to give up my level of activity prematurely. I don't want to risk getting out of shape, gaining too much weight, or becoming inactive enough to start getting random aches and pains. I credit my workouts last pregnancy with helping me stay in shape and feel good for pretty much my whole pregnancy, and I really don't want to risk that this time. I think I worked out twice a week last time and right now I'm only managing once, so that may be making things harder, as well. I'm a little bigger this time around, too.
The next step down is just doing the elliptical or walking on a treadmill, which is doable but boring. I will step down to that, sooner than I did last time for sure, but I don't want to give up class before I have to because so much of it is still doable. I'm still probably doing more than some of the older ladies in the class, but perhaps I just need to give myself a break, lighten up on the weights, slow down, and see how it goes. I'll check my ego at the door and just do what I can until I can't do it anymore. Something is better than nothing...
But here I am around the five month mark (I think--I'm nearly 24 weeks, so whatever that works out to be), and I'm starting to doubt my ability to keep it up. My original goal was to keep it up until Christmas. I figured that there would be enough distractions during Christmas that I might miss a class or two, and once that happened it would be extra hard to go back. But I was hoping to make it until then.
However, I'm starting to doubt myself. I'm already making a lot of modifications. Tonight at class I had a period of time where I had to skip a few sets because I started to get a little lightheaded. I remember that happening once or twice last time I was pregnant, too. It would be one thing if there was a magic formula that caused issues like that, but there isn't. I can go through the exact same workout two weeks in a row, and one week it could affect me, and the next it won't. It's not just a matter of working out too hard, because I'm very conscious of that and do my best to take it easy. It could be a certain motion, or being a little extra tired, or being a little warmer. But I don't really know what might cause it until it happens. Fortunately, it's pretty apparent to me when I'm heading down that road, so I can usually stop doing what I'm doing, take a break, and recover without a problem. That's what happened last time, and that's what happened this time. I took it easy for the rest of class and everything was fine by the end.
I don't want to give it up entirely from one iffy experience that may have been caused by one perfect storm of circumstances. So, I'll try again next week, be extra careful, and see how it goes. And if it happens again, I'll think about it again. I'll admit it all makes me a little nervous, but again, if it's just a mix of circumstances I don't want to give up my level of activity prematurely. I don't want to risk getting out of shape, gaining too much weight, or becoming inactive enough to start getting random aches and pains. I credit my workouts last pregnancy with helping me stay in shape and feel good for pretty much my whole pregnancy, and I really don't want to risk that this time. I think I worked out twice a week last time and right now I'm only managing once, so that may be making things harder, as well. I'm a little bigger this time around, too.
The next step down is just doing the elliptical or walking on a treadmill, which is doable but boring. I will step down to that, sooner than I did last time for sure, but I don't want to give up class before I have to because so much of it is still doable. I'm still probably doing more than some of the older ladies in the class, but perhaps I just need to give myself a break, lighten up on the weights, slow down, and see how it goes. I'll check my ego at the door and just do what I can until I can't do it anymore. Something is better than nothing...
Monday, November 12, 2012
Non-Stop Weekend!
From start to finish, this weekend was BUSY! On Friday after work we headed out for a quick dinner and then did some shopping for a couple weekend celebrations we'd be attending. The next morning, Craig was up bright and early to participate in a stair climb event for charity. He walked up 20 stories of stairs in the Bausch & Lomb building here in Rochester to benefit the American Lung Association. He did it in just over 10 minutes, which is great! In the meantime, Jacob and I went out to a local church's garage sale (it was half price day and I was curious to see what they had), and then took a quick trip to the library since we hadn't been there in ages. We all met back at home for lunch, then packed up and headed out to Buffalo for two days full of activities.
The first stop was a baby shower for Craig's cousin and his girlfriend, who are due for a baby boy in January. Luckily it was a family- and guy-friendly shower, so we all got to go. Admittedly, we kept Jacob occupied with electronics, coloring, cookies, and cheese puffs, but he did well. Craig came in second in one of the games, the one where you pick a length of ribbon that corresponds to the mama-to-be's belly size. It was nice to catch up with some family and receive some congratulations of my own from some family members we hadn't seen. I comiserated with the mom in more ways than one--not only could we chat about pregnancy, but we could also chat about having four-year-old boys and being a little disappointed about not having a girl. Another pregnant woman there was having her second girl, so she was on the other end of the spectrum.
After the shower we headed to Craig's parents' house. Craig went out with his father and brother, Jacob went to bed (nearly perfectly, might I add), and I worked on posting some long-delayed pictures to Facebook while Craig's mom (who's healing up, slowly but surely) and I watched a movie.
Sunday was supposed to be a beautiful day, and when you get one of those in November, you take advantage of it! It was nearly 70 degrees! We had plenty of other plans for the day, but I figured we had enough time to sneak in a long-desired trip to the Buffalo Zoo. We had wanted to go for years--Jacob's first trip was when he was about a year old--and given that we have a membership here that gives us a discount there, it seemed like a great plan. A lot of other people thought so too, so it was busy, but it's big enough that it wasn't a problem. The animals were active and it was an awesome day! Here are some of my favorite shots:
 |
| I like the profile shot of the eating elephant...just thought it looked cute :) |
 |
| His face practically says, "Duuude, do you mind?" |
In addition to two giant pigs, some sheep, a cow, and some turkeys, there was also a big wagon for photo ops. Here's my big boy, almost smiling on command...
The most interesting part of the day was when we saw the gorillas. Jacob has a stuffed gorilla that he's always talked about taking to the Buffalo Zoo, so getting to see the gorillas was exciting. Turns out there's a baby!
 |
| So little! |
It got crazy, though, when he saw Jacob's gorilla! He kept banging on the window. He pounded his chest. He appeared to be signing. And apparently he almost seemed to do a rocking gesture, like he was rocking a baby. I wish I would have thought to record it, because it was amazing to watch! I could have watched that baby for hours, in fact.
We saw so many animals--big cats (we could hear the lion roaring as we walked around the rest of the zoo), a bear, zebras, anteaters, birds, reindeer, and monkeys. We also saw buffalo...
And the giraffes...so gorgeous...
We had a great time and I was so happy we went. What a lovely day! On our way back, we stopped downtown to check out the new French Connection statue outside the First Niagara Center. Luckily, Craig had brought his old Sabres Hockey School jersey (from the late 70s) for our next stop, and it worked well to cover up the Montreal Canadiens shirt Jacob was wearing!
Hard to see us, but here's Jacob and me in front of the statues. Behind us you can see pillars, each marked with a decade and bearing the names of every Sabre that played during that decade.
Look at this handsome little boy...
I don't know how well you can see it, but here's our little #7 standing below the big #7--Grandma's favorite Sabre, Rick Martin.
We hopped back in the car and headed to the hockey rink in Hamburg to go to an open skate with Jacob's cousins. Jacob took a little rest on the way there, and when Craig woke him up to go in, he immediately said that he wanted to go on the ice right away! Jacob has always wanted to skate, but has never been able to. This was his chance! He even got a hand-me-down pair of skates from his cousins that he gets to keep. Here he is, all padded up and ready to go!
He headed out on the ice with Craig and a support bar. It was very slow going! He had a hard time staying up, but he had a blast. He kept trying to do it on his own, but that would not have gone well. Such an independent streak!
After the skate, we headed back to Craig's parents' house for a double birthday for both Craig's Nana (93!) and our sister-in-law. Jacob and Craig played some baseball with Jacob's cousins until it got dark, and then had a great meal and some ice cream cake before finally heading home. It made for a late night, but luckily Jacob slept for most of the trip and snuggled right into bed after we got home.
He was a bit difficult at times today (a couple out-of-character accidents and a rough nap, for starters), but I think it's just the weekend hangover getting him off-track. Let's hope tomorrow is better. The weekend really wasn't bad, all things considered, so hopefully today was just a blip in the radar!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)